Wayne Bennett: great coach, better man manager

Lemuel, this thread is dead and buried. I'm glad you understand by brilliant logic.......Just about every team copies some part of The Storm's game. It's just natural. They set new standards and raised the bar a few years ago. Enjoy the Grand Final. It should be a cracker of a game. Good luck for your team next year.

Your so called King couldn't wrestle the State of Origin Series back to New south Wales!!!!!!! He was also Ricky Stuart's sidekick when New Zealand won the World Cup. And by the way...... If Newcastle copied the Storms style of play, how come storm didn't beat them????? After all If they formulated a 'style of play', they would know how to defend against it. Anyway, I will cop your logic for now.

Glen Innes, you are correct, this thread is dead and buried. The facts are that The Roosters are under the salary cap for 2014, they are in a Grand Final in 4 days, they obviously have an intelligent Recruitment Department, and they will probably win the Premiership. My team didn't even make the Grand Final, but I am in still in awe of the Roosters and Sea-Eagles. Sensational teams. Enjoy the off-season after Sunday :-)

This thread is already dead and buried but we need to get our facts straight The Roosters added more than just the very signifant SBW to last years squad they also gained Jennings and Maloney two current Origin players, also Minichiello finally seems to have recovered from that serious back problem that has hampered him for a few seasons and is back playing with his previous qualities.

At this stage in the history of the St.George Dragons I'm sure they would accept anybody as a coach for 2014 as long as he brings some new ideas to the training paddock. There is one thing we all know. They offered Craig Bellamy the biggest contract in the clubs history to coach them. Bennett did what he had to do at St.George and moved on. Some of the players would obviously like him back but I'm sure the majority would like a fresh, dynamic approach in this new generation of Rugby League. Bellamy showed loyalty, something drastically lacking in the game. However, it's interesting that St.George moved Heaven and Earth to gain Bellamy's services. The obvious reason is because Bellamy is the new King of Coaching in the new generation of the game and I'm not even a Melbourne Storm supporter, just a realist. After all, most of the other teams are copying the Storms style of play.

Not a very good Recruitment Department at the Knights. No real value for money. Just proves that "The Great Coach" needs to import rather than do a Bellamy and develop nobody's into stars.

Ask most of the players and coaching staff at the Dragons if they think Bennett can fix the Eels problems. After all, their premiership drought was longer than Paramatta's. I have no doubt about what most of them might say :-)

Newcastle bought most of the players that ran out on the weekend

Knight Vision, you have done it again. Every time Wayne Bennett has coached a winning team he has had a squad full of superstars and great players ( Maybe St.George is an exception although they had made the Top 8 when he took over ). He is yet to achieve success with a team of nobody's. I don't see him putting his hand up to coach The Eels.......He is now a better "Man Manager" rather than a coach. Any good "Man Manger" can coach a team of superstars. You are a avid Knight fan so I will never be able to convince you. I will just leave it at that and I will enjoy a brilliant Grand Final ahead on Sunday.

Knight Vision, in case you didn't realise, that's what a "re-building stage" is. Developing young talent to replace the oldies, and the oldies assisting in their development. So yes, the Knights, like most teams, are constantly re-building heir team. In a couple of years they will have to re-build with a new coach. Wayne doesn't stay around more than four years with the exception of The Broncos. He said that teams need new direction after a few years. You sound like a strong Knights fan. Good luck.

successful coaches as Craig Bellamy, Micheal Maguire and Trent Robinson are the future and Bennet is past it ? What are you talking abut? Craig Bellamy , won GF win , zero SOO series wins , Maguire , nothing , Trent Robinson , one Minor Premiership. Wayne Bennett is past it ? ummm ok thanks for the insight.

you know nothing if you think the Knights are at a rebuilding stage. A heap of talented kids about to come through just as the older ones are fazed out. The older ones are there to pass on knowledge of the game and what it takes to win . One of the younger guys who made his first grade debut this year is going to be very very special, and with Danny gone next year could be his year.

League_coach101, Your first two words are an apology, I accept :-) Now,you are actually agreeing with me. I have already stated that Trent Robinson still has to prove himself in the future when he doesn't have the talent to work with. At this moment though, he has the luxury of seeing his great work probably leading to an NRL Premiership in only his first year at the club as head coach. The reason those same players didn't produce the goods last year but are a huge success this year is because Robinson has brought the best out of each and every player. The players are on record saying what a great coach he is. He is like Bellamy, the "new breed" of coach where variety, set plays in attack and defence at any time in the game, and great leadership are the vital element in achieving success. Manly are also brilliant at producing something out of nothing because their training revolves around the unpredictable. You contradict yourself in your blog when you say in your first sentence " he also has the best players possible ", then you say in your second paragraph, " I think the Roosters squad is made up of some talented players and some players who used to be great. " Doesn't make sense. Anyway, it can be clearly seen that Wayne Bennett's philosophy of "man management" and telling his players they are great when they are clearly not, simply is wearing thin. He has been a great mentor and coach. His wise words on life in general have been welcomed by many people. He will always be seen as a legend in coaching. Unfortunately for him the game is in a new generation phase. The successful teams today need more than motivational words, good defence, a good kicking game, and field position. That's basically Bennett's position. "just hang in there and everything will be ok". Nup, the CREATIVE plays, the set plays, the tough forward plays, the positional plays, a great half back and hooker to run the show, the huge forwards to run the middle of the park, the brilliant line kickers, the multi million dollar training facilities, that's what wins the "new generation of Rugby League". Father Time has caught up on Wayne Bennett and now lives with the people of Newcastle as well. Besides, Bennett also only coached teams with talented players ( Maybe the exception is St.George although they had been in the Top 8 when Bennett took over ). I can't see him rushing to coach the poor old Eels. He only has Hayne to work with. It would have been interesting to see him coach a team of no-body's. Ah well, such is life. Many coaches may use some of Wayne's basic philosophies on life when mentoring their teams. Many still use Jack Gibson's philosophies, but they are now just a framework. The Bellamy's of this world have built on that and a new game has evolved. A far cry from the game that the younger Wayne Bennett once knew when the technology didn't examine every second of the game, and the rule book didn't contain ten different interpretations of the one event. The Roosters v Sea-Eagles game should be a cracker of a game, and a perfect example of what I am talking about.

I'm sorry.... "Trent Robinson is a creative coach, however, he also has the best players possible. He needs to prove himself in the future when he doesn’t have the luxury of so many greats in his squad." Greats? Plural? There's only one Sonny Bill. I don't remember the rest of the 'greats' in the Roosters squad playing so well last year. Maybe Mr BBQ Alone might (MIGHT) turn out to be a great but other than that I think the Roosters squad is made up of some talented players and some players who used to be great. What Robinson has done with this team is pretty impressive. This team has been winning because they have self belief and because they back each other up. Sounds exactly like Bennett's philosophy to me. Actually upon reading Craig Bellamy's book it seems like a lot of what he was saying sounds exactly like what Bennett has been saying for years. But hey the Storm didn't win either....

Bondy I tend to agree with you. It's maybe time that he gave the coaching away and went into an administration role. He would be a great advisor. As a front man I'm not sure that he has the Media presence, or the extrovert personal nature to speak on behalf of the game. The NRL is sadly lacking in a great orator who can stand in front of TV cameras or a large group and seriously motivate us all simply by the way they say on any particular topic relating to the game. Wayne Bennet is a quiet man who finds it really hard to put a sentence together. Quite introverted. Yes, he would be a great advisor to the NRL Executive or the Rugby League Commission, but not the front man.

I've always seen Wayne as somebody who should govern the sport in its entirety , the Top Man it would please thousands of supporters.

Zedman, you are correct. Gibson was a genius. Bellamy is a lot like Gibson. He thinks outside the square. That's what is needed in the "Modern Game". Like Gibson, Bellamy takes a nobody and turns them into a star. Unfortunately Wayne Bennett ( The Great Man) never really thinks outside the square. He believes the traditional old style of good defence, field position, an accurate kicking game, and a positive attitude by all players, will eventually create tries and win games as long as he also has mostly the best players in his team. Trent Robinson is a creative coach, however, he also has the best players possible. He needs to prove himself in the future when he doesn't have the luxury of so many greats in his squad. The Sea-Eagles under Geoff Toovey are another team who have so many options both in attack and defence at any time in a game. They play a true "Modern Game" and Toovey's coaching team can take great credit for that. As I have said before, Father Time seems to live in Newcastle at the moment and is a resident in the Knights coaching team.

Lemuel, once again "The great man" had the best to work with in those Premierships and World Cup. Wonder if he would like to resurrect Parramatta.......don't think so. That's almost an impossible task. No great players to work with except Hayne.

Glenn Innes, we both agree that Bennett WAS a brilliant coach who achieved much success, mostly because he had the best players to work with. Maybe with the exception of St.George who in fact still had a handy bunch available. All I'm saying is that his old style methods, including the use of psychology and so-called "man-management", are wearing thin. The great sides of the modern game have a variety of defensive and attacking plays that can be used at any time. They have creativity in their game. Bennett coached teams don't have that quality. His methods are outdated. That's why I suggest he is an icon of how we used to coach in the NRL. You are also correct. If you havn't got the talent no amount of "psyching up" will realise success.